Jimmy Butler went crazy after Ernie Johnson greeted him

If the 2023 NBA playoffs had a main character, it would most likely be Jimmy Butler. After nearly losing in the Play-In Tournament to the Chicago Bulls, Butler donned a cape in Miami’s first-round matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks and became a superhero as he was the driving force in one of the great playoff surprises of all times. Butler completely demoralized the Bucks with a herculean 56-point performance and two double-digit fourth-quarter comebacks to send the Bucks packing in just five games.

Butler and the Heat then visited Madison Square Garden to pull off another upset, albeit much less surprising, playoff series win against the New York Knicks. For two short weeks, Butler drew the ire of all of New York City and still emerged victorious. But even though he is one of the most popular stars in the league, he is still capable of becoming a fan. Before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Butler ran into Inside the NBA Ernie Johnson and had a lovely reaction when the TNT personality went out of his way to say hello.

Butler is a big fan of Ernie, like all of us here at Dime. If Butler scores 60 points in Game 2, you have to assume this inspired his big night.